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Conceptions of the History of Philosophy 3 Years, 3 Months ago
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In what way does the history of philosophy unfold? Does the history of philosophy mirror the histories of other disciplines? With respect to the history of philosophy, can we talk about progress?
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Re: Conceptions of the History of Philosophy 3 Years, 3 Months ago
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I will take a stab. To say that the history of philosophy unfolds is a misnomer. The texts of our history do not unfold as if history moves beyond us on its own accord. Instead, our encounter with philosophical tradition (even those addressing particular problems and are recent formations) as that which is handed down constitutes what from the backward glance looks like the unfolding. We should never confuse the unity that seems to be with the backward glance since all understanding is historically-situated to the present. We never understand our texts (liberally used to include even analytic problematics addressed in academic journals as well) apart from our need for present self-understanding. Moreover, our hermeneutic engagement with texts cannot be divorced from the interpreter.
I deny any sense of progress as a finished task in philosophy since the very inception of philosophy starts and ends with producing a work that is to be challenged. Philosophy consists as Husserl described as an "infinite task" of truth.
I do not know how the historicity of understanding can be doubted, although it will inevitably arise in any analytically inclined philosopher that philosophical problems as Searle once remarked often become scientific questions. When that happens, a problematic is removed from philosophy and lends itself to the idea that progress happens in philosophy.
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TimeLine
If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong
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Re: Conceptions of the History of Philosophy 3 Years, 3 Months ago
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[quote1235323369=JediKnightTage]
I will take a stab. [/quote1235323369]
Hey! Take'r eashy...
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Re: Conceptions of the History of Philosophy 3 Years, 3 Months ago
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The history of philosophy, in my opinion, mirrors the history of other disciplines, i.e., an exponential increase in information, a linear increase in knowledge and a minimal increase in wisdom. I believe this because most of new philosophical information is irrelevant (e.g., nitpicking articles about other philosophers' publications) and adds little to philosophical knowledge and the increase in knowledge (e.g., mostly a rehash of old ideas) seems to make an insignificant contribution to wisdom. Moreover, our wisdom is stunted by our paleolithic morality regardless of how much knowledge we accumulate.
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Re: Conceptions of the History of Philosophy 3 Years, 3 Months ago
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[quote1235353021=nanrek]
The history of philosophy, in my opinion, mirrors the history of other disciplines, i.e., an exponential increase in information, a linear increase in knowledge and a minimal increase in wisdom. I believe this because most of new philosophical information is irrelevant (e.g., nitpicking articles about other philosophers' publications) and adds little to philosophical knowledge and the increase in knowledge (e.g., mostly a rehash of old ideas) seems to make an insignificant contribution to wisdom. Moreover, our wisdom is stunted by our paleolithic morality regardless of how much knowledge we accumulate.
[/quote1235353021]
We don't know from this what you think wisdom is, what you think philosophical knowledge is, or in what sense you judge knowledge relevant. I've always thought of knowledge and wisdom to be goods on their own, indispensable to the human condition, and intrinsically valuable. Moreover, I don't know what the appeal to a paleolithic morality entails, nor how that relates to what you see as knowledge.
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Re: Conceptions of the History of Philosophy 3 Years, 3 Months ago
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The fact that nothing is ever decided in philosophy makes its 'movement', such as it is, a recapitulation, a retracing. Very little is thrown away utterly, it seems to me. We return to the same basic problems and reinterpret them; whereas in science old problems are solved and new ones are discovered.
Reinterpretation can itself be seen as a form of progress, in that more ground has been covered. But it's not progress in the sense that it makes its way closer to its goal. Necessary to construing it as progress is the assumption that philosophy is already worthwhile as an activity unto itself. If it is understood as merely instrumental to grasping and bringing about the good then there is no progress, ever.
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Solitude, my mother, tell me my life again. -- O.V. de Milosz
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